Mentors and role models are often critical to a woman’s decision to enter the technology sector. A mentor's input and guidance can help build the necessary skills and confidence a young woman needs to advance in her career. One international study found that 80% of successful women had been mentored throughout their careers, usually by more than one person.

Why Mentorship Matters

> Canadian women represent almost half of the overall Canadian workforce, yet:

> They make up only 25% of the Canadian advanced technology workforce;

> An even smaller percentage of women in the tech sector are managers;

> 52% of highly qualified females working in science, engineering and technology companies will quit their jobs within the first 10 years of their career;

> 38% of women hold leadership roles in Canada, yet only 16% hold leadership roles in the corporate sector (compared with 59% in the education sector and 37% in government agencies); and,

> 37% of Boards of Directors and 17% of Senior Management Teams have no female representation in the corporate sector to guide Canada's future generation of women in technology.